Device for utilizing the power of flowing water



Dec. 15,1925.

- w. E DAMoN DEVICE FOR UTILIZING THE POWER OF FLOW De. 15, 1925i W. E. DAMO'N DEVICE FR UTILIZING THE POWER OF FLOWING 4WATER original Filed May 4. 1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 mnesa:

Patented Dec. 15, 1925 1 UNITED ySTATES Lassie PATENT oFFIcE.

WILLIAM EDGAR DAMON, OF NGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FOR UTILIZINGVTHE Application filed May 4, 1921, Serial T0 all whom t 'may concern.'

Be it known that l, WILLIAM EDGAR Die MoN, a citizen oi the United States, residing at Inglewood, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented and discovered a new and useful Device for Utilizing the Power of Flowing Water, of which the following is a specilication.

An object of my invention is to provide simple, inexpensive and effective means whereby power may be generated from flowing water as Jfrom a stream or from the How resulting from the rise and fall of the tides.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby counter influences to the general direction of flow of the water may be eliminated.

The first of these objects is accomplished by providing a float on which are journaled pulleys spaced apart in a horizontal plane and about which is trained an endless belt or chain having propeller blades extending therefrom; the lower reach of the chain being adapted to dip into the water and to be moved thereby in the direction of the flow, the upper reach being elevated above the water; and one of the pulleys being connected to drive wheels from which power may be transmitted by belts to a place where work is to be done.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby when the device is used in water having a reciprocating How as in or just outside the surf, a continuous movement in one direction may be obtained.

The propeller blades mounted in the f above described manner` are subjected to a heavy pressure and it is necessary to provide bracing means to brace the propellers against such pressure. At the same time it is important that the flexibility of the belt or chain should not be intefered with in any manner; and this is of especial importance when the belt lis passing around the pulleys.

It is an object of the invention to provide means which will effectively brace the propeller-s against pressure exerted thereon and which at the same time, will in no way interfere with the exibility of the belt.

Another object is to provide a device which is strong rand durable and which will resist the destructiveiniiuences of tides,

`waves and weather,

POWER OE FLOWING WATER.

No. 466,661. Renewed July 21, 1925.

Other objects, advantages and features oi invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detail description and the appended claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention.

Figure l is a perspective view oi the dcvice anchored in the sea, and showing thc manner of anchoring the same and the arrangement oi'f belts for obtaining a direct drive, from the reversing movement of the power generating mechanism of the device.

Fig. 2 is a plan view oic the device part of the cover being broken away to show the relation of the pulleys, endless belt and propellers to each other.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device with the cover in section; and showing the relation to each other of the belt, pulleys, and ott the propellers in various stages of their course of revolution.

Fig. 4 is a detail view on an enlarged scale, compared with Figs. 2 and 3 showing the relation of the drive wheels to the shaft on which they are mounted and to the pulleys.

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of propeller blade on an enlarged scale compared with Figs. 2 and 3 showing the relation of the bracing wings thereto and the manner of its mounting to the chain or belt.

l designates a iioat which is in the form of a frame comprising longitudinally extending members 2 and cross members 3 secured together, the cross members 3 being preferably spaced a considerable distance from the ends of the members 2 to allow space for the mounting of pulleys to be described. The members 2 and 3 may be heavy beams of wood or floats of any other character found to be practicable or desirable, and the structure may be strengthened by additional cross members 4:.

The float is adapted to rest on the surface of the water and to be held practically stationary by suitable anchoring means which may be in the form of piles 5 driven into the bottom of the stream or in the ocean bed as the case may be, and to which are attached cables 6; the opposite ends of said cables being attached to the ioat and preferably to the ends of the cross members 3 which are extended as shown at 7 laterally beyond the longitudinally extending frame iimitely at right angles to the belt.

members 2. Ais shown thereare three cables attached to each cross beam on-each side of the float, and extending each to a pile, arranged preferably in 4sets of three, -but the number may be varied to suit conditions. Steadying cables V6 'may be lprovided runningT from each set of piles diagonally to the cross beamsias shown in Fig. l.

The longitudinally'extending members 2 are provided adjacent both ends with coaxial bearings 8 in which are respectively journaled the shafts l) and l0. Mounted upon the shafts are pulleys ll and l2, which may be in the form of sprocket wheels and about which is trained an endless belt or chain iri for a. purpose which will later appear.

When tl e float is placed in the water the low reach of the belt or cha-in lies beneath the surface of thewater while the upper reach elevated above said surface and rollers il or other suit-able means may be provided to support the upper reach against sa-j ging'. Extendingtransversely on both sides of the belt are suit-able propeller members l5 which are in the form of flat blades or flanges of boiler iron or other suitable sheet material adapted to extend approx- 'The propeller members, when in 'liowinp` water are moved thereby in the direction of flow revolving the belt about the pulleys.

In order that the propeller members may be held at right angles to the belt, and be braced against the pressure exerted on` the sides thereof by water, suitable brace members in the form of wings 1G are attached to both sides thereof and extend at substantially right angles to both the'propellers 15 and to the plane of the belt 13. The brace members 16 are preferably located centrally of the belt, but have no connection with the belt, and are connected to the propeller by suitable means, as byvstraps 17 which may be bolted. riveted or otherwise securely fastened to both the propeller and to the brace members. rlhe propellers are pivotally secured to the belt or chain by means of straps 'i8 having journal bearings 19 inthe ends thereof which cooperate with journal members 2O extending` laterally from both sides of the belt or of certain links of the chain '13. By this construction and mounting of the propellers on the belt or chain the propeller is properly braced. At'thesame time the "flexibility of the chain is no way interfered with and the chain may pass about the pulleys orsproeket wheels withoutbind ing action betweenthe chain and bracing members,

ln order to eliminate interference with the movement of the endless chain in the direction of thegeneralflow ofl the'stream or tide, a cover 2l is provided for the float which is securely lfastened thereto, -entirely enclosing` the upper side thereof and preventing waves and other superficial disturbances from operating,` upon the upper reach of the belt. The cover 2l preferably.7 slopes at both ends as shown at 22 and is bound tothe beams y2 by suitable means as by straps 23 of heavy sheet metal.

In the device as above described l have provided a mechanism which may be placed in a stream or in the ocean or any place where there is a steady or periodic flow of .vater, and when anchored in the above manner` the water will act on the propellers causingr the belt to revolve and in consequence the pulleys to rotate.

One of the shafts l() may be keyed as at 24; to its correspondingv pulley ll `to rotate therewith and on the ends of the shalt l() ma( be mounted drive wheels 25 and 2G 'from which power may be transferred by means of belt -or other connections toa suitable place for utilizing the saine.

ldlhen employing` the device -to obtain power from water flowing alternately in reverse directions, suitable reversing mechanism may be employed whereby direct motion in one direction may be obtained from the alternately reversing `movement of the endless belt. Onelform of reversing mechanism may be provided as shown inthe drawings, by mounting` the drive wheels 25 and 26 loosely onthe shaft 10, `and'providing ratchets 27 and V2S secured one to each wheel and ratchet wheels 29 and 30 keyed to shaft l0; the ratchet wheels being;V 100 adapted to cooperate respectively with the ratehets. For `-'this purpose the ratchet wheels have the teeth thereof facing` in opposite directions and the 'corresponding ratchets beingr oppositely mounted so that the drive wheels will each rotate with the shaft in only one direction and in opposite directions of rotation of said shaft.

`Belts or cables 31 and 32 run fron'i the drive wheels 25 and 26 to pulleys SSand 34; 110 on aV driven shaft'fl. which maybe journaled in suitable bearings and 37 secured to a wharf 3S, or other suitable support. One of the belts '31 may be crossed and the other may run straight, as shown. Keyed to shaft 535 is a pulley 40 about which may be trained a belt 89 running to mechanism, not shown, where the power is to be utilized.

By the arrangement of pulleys, drive wheels, ratchets and belts above set forth a direct continuous movement of the belt 39 may be obtained from a fluctuating or reversing movement of the water in which the yfloat is anchored and the reversing` of the mechanism will occur automatically and 135 without the attendance of an operator. infuse, the device, which may be 30 or 4() feet long by about 4 feet wide, is placed with the propeller' blades at right angles to the flow of water and secured to piles or other suitable anchoring means. The drive wheels may then be connected by belts to driven mechanism when the device will be operated continuously by the How of the water; the water exerting pressure against the propel- 1ers moving them along in the direction of the flow and rotating the pulleys and drive wheels as set forth above.

I claim:

l, A device 'for utilizing power of flowing water, comprising an endless chain trained about spaced pulleys mounted on a float, one stretch of said chain being above and the other stretch below the surface of the water, certain of the links olsaid chain liaving lateral projections, on opposite sides ot said chain, propellers pivotally secured to said projections, and means to limit the pivotal movement of said propellers,

2. A device for generating power from flowing water comprising a substantially stationar float; spaced pulleys mounted on said oat; an endless chain composed of links trained about said pulleys; journal members extending laterally from both sides of certain links of said chain; propellers extending transversely on bothrsides of said chain; means pivotally connecting said propellers to said journal members; and means connected to one of said pulleys and adapted to be driven in one direction by rotation of the pulleys in either direction.

3. In a device lor generating power from water flowing in opposite directions the combination of spaced pulleys; an endless member revolubly mounted on said pulleys; propeller members secured to and extending on both sides of said endless member; and means connected to one of said pulleys and adapted to be driven in only one direction by rotation of the pulleys in either direction.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 23rd day of April, 1921.

WILLIAM EDGAR DAMON. 

